Transportation Benefit Plan

The City of Minneapolis Transportation Benefits Plan gives you options to pay commuting expenses with pre-tax dollars. The plan is available to regular full-time and part-time employees of the City of Minneapolis. If you would like to learn more about the transportation benefit plan and how it is administered through WageWorks, please review the Transportation Plan Quick Start Guide.

Qualified Parking - The plan allows eligible employees to set aside up to $250 per month for qualified parking expenses. The monthly limit may be adjusted by the IRS in future years. Qualified parking is defined as parking at or near your work place or at a location from which you commute to work. Qualified parking expenses include the costs of daily parking and monthly parking contracts. An employee who commutes to work on a bicycle and pays to park their bicycle can submit those expenses for reimbursement under the plan.

Exclusions - Mileage, tolls and fuel are not qualified parking expenses. Business travel or other reimbursed parking expenses are also excluded, as are any expenses that are not incurred in connection with your employment with the City.

Commuter Van Pool - The plan also allows $130 per month to pay for commuter van pool expenses. A commuter van pool is any highway vehicle that seats at least six passengers, besides the driver. At least 80% of the vehicle’s mileage must be for the purpose of transporting employees between work and home on trips during which the number of individuals transported is at least one-half of the vehicle’s adult seating capacity. The monthly limit may be adjusted by the IRS in future years

Enrollment and Changes – You can enroll effective the first of any month by completing an enrollment and change form. Pre-tax deductions will be taken from the first paycheck of each month.

You may change your deduction amount or stop participation the first of any month. However, your enrollment and change form must be received by the City of Minneapolis Benefits Office by first Friday of the month in order for the enrollment to be effective the following month.

Your elections will continue from one year to the next - it is not necessary to re-enroll each year to remain in the plan.

Reimbursement – You must complete a claim form and send it along with documentation to WageWorks. Instructions on completing the claim form are located on the first page of the form. Claims can also be submitted online at www.wageworks.com. If you do not have a receipt, the claim must be submitted online.

Claims must be submitted no later than six months after the date the expense was incurred. You can only receive reimbursement for expenses up to your available account balance. Also, you cannot be reimbursed for any expenses that arise before you become a participant in the plan.

Rollovers and Forfeitures – Any funds in your account at year end will be rolled over to the next calendar year. Any remaining funds in your account which are not claimed within six months after you leave employment will be forfeited. Forfeitures will be used by the City to pay future administration fees.

Participation in the transportation plan will lower your taxable income and it may lower your future Social Security benefits.